The reduction is in the percentage of readers not the amount of reading being done. As in, older readers die and the number of yousters picking up the habit is less than the ones that die.

But the percentage drop measured is lower than the accuracy of the poll so the reduction might not be a reflection of reality, just a fluctuation in the sample of people polled. So nothing significant can or should be read into that even though a lot of sources have been taking the numbers at face value.

I was prepared to make the same comment, but the study appears to contradict this notion with the chart on page 9. I find their chosen time periods odd (why compare reading habits over only 3 months?), but they claim that reading is down, as well.